Vent structure for pneumatically discharged hopper car



y 1955 F. A. VANDER LINDEN ETAL 3,

VENT STRUCTURE FOR PNEUMATICALLY DISCHARGED HQPPER CAR Filed March 19, 1962 Y 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,4 4 42 44 I 1 T7? m y f h i li" f. WP

45 52 6b F g:,2 3 34 /9 3 INVENTORS.

FZ\CHARD {I GREEN July 13, 19 5 F. A. VANDER LINDEN ETAL 3,194,144

VENT STRUCTURE FOR PNEUMATICALLY D ISCHARGED HOPPER CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1962 INVENTORS. RxcHARD cr. GREEN FR g fl K A. VANDER UNDEN M W FLH July 13, 1965 F. A. VANDER LINDEN ETAL 3,194,144

VENT STRUCTURE FOR PNEUMATICALLY DISCHARGED HOPPER CAR Filed March 19, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS. RICHARD J. GREEN FRANK A. VANDER L\NDEN 45 y United States Patent 3,194,144 VENT STRUtC FOR PNEUMATICALLY DESCHARGED HQPPER AR Frank A. Vander Linden, (Ihicago, 111., and Richard .1.

Green, Butler, Pan, assignors to Pullman Incorporated,

Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 180,796 2 Claims. (Cl. 98-6) The present invention relates to apparatus for unloading finely divided and pulverulent material from hopper cars and, more particularly, to an arrangement for venting the hoppers to atmosphere so as to facilitate the removal of the material therefrom.

The basic hopper car comprises generally a plurality of hoppers either in communication or isolated from each other. The hoppers are provided with removable hatches through which the material is introduced and during the unloading the removal or uncovering of the hatch permits the introduction of air to facilitate the discharge of material through the hopper discharge ends. The material discharge may be accomplished by either a gravity discharge or pneumatic unloading through a pneumatic feed arrangement provided on the discharge end of the hoppers. The pneumatic unloading of the hoppers is accomplished by way of a suction arrangement generally involving a source of suction which is connected to the pneumatic feed arrangement of the hopper by way of a flexible suction tube.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved venting arrangement for hopper cars adapted to be pneumatically unloaded wherein said venting arrangement is constructed and arranged to provide a vent opening disposed so as to be protected against adverse climatic conditions when the latter is open to atmosphere.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a hopper car with a venting arrangement whereby the vent means communicates with the top of said hopper and is disposed so as to provide a vent opening communicating with the atmosphere at the lower portion of the car.

It is another object to provide a hopper car with a venting arrangement including a venting conduit disposed within the side walls of the car and having an opening communicating with the upper portion of the hopper and an atmospheric opening disposed in the lower portion of the hopper adjacent the center sill portion thereof.

It is still another object to provide a hopper car with a venting arrangement including a venting conduit formed so that one wall thereof is provided by the side sheet of the car.

It is still a further object taken in conjunction with the immediately foregoing object to provide a venting arrangement constructed and arranged so that the venting conduit communicates at one end with the upper portion of the car and is open to the atmosphere at the other end in the vicinity of the lower portion of the car so as to be readily accessible for selective opening or closing thereof.

It is still another object to provide a hopper car with a venting arrangement wherein the usually vertical stake or side post forming the car sides is employed as a conduit and the air inlet and outlet openings are arranged at the upper and lower portions of the car respectively.

Further objects and features will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a hopper type railway car embodying one form of venting arrangement of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of the car shown in FIG. 1;

'ice

the lines 3A3A of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a hopper type railway car showing another form of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the lines 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing still another form of the invention iin which the venting arrangement employs the side stake structure.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is illustrated a hopper car 10 provided with a plurality of hoppers 11 of which only one is shown. Each hopper 11 is formed with a bottom material discharge portion 12 defined by converging wall sections 13 and projecting downwardly below the main car body structure between the spaced wheel trucks 14. The hopper car 10 is of more or less conventional design including in the main body portion between the end walls thereof a series of longitudinally aligned hoppers 11a positioned along one side 16 of the car as shown in FIG. 1, and a similar series of longitudinally aligned hoppers 11b positioned along the opposite side 16 of the car which are partially shown in FIG. 3. Transversely of the car, the longitudinally aligned hoppers are disposed upon opposite sides of center sill 15 in sideby-side relation as is conventional. For purposes of describing certain aspects of the invention the illustrations are limited to only one series of longitudinally aligned hoppers.

Attached to the bottom of the discharge portion of the hopper is a pneumatic feed device 17 which is adapted for attachment to a pneumatic conveying system not shown. The pneumatic feed device comprises generally a housing 18 and a conveying tube 19. The housing 18 is generally substantially V-shaped and includes side walls 21 and 22 and end walls 23 which are arranged to slope in a manner commensurate with a uniform flow of the material through the bottom discharge portion 12 of the hopper 11. The upper edges of the side walls 21 and 22 and the end walls 23 are formed with lateral flanges 24 which receive bolts for fastening the housing to an attaching rim 26 Welded to the outside walls of the hopper. For maintaining an effective seal at the juncture of the hopper and the housing, a compressible sealing member 27 formed of rubber or the like is disposed between the rim 26 and the lateral attaching flange 24.

The side wall 21 is arranged so that its free edge terminates short of the side wall 22 so as to define a nadir material discharge opening 28 extending between the end walls 23 and along one side of the nadir 29 of the housing. The free edge 31 of the wall is uniformly spaced along its length from the nadir 29 soas to provide a constant longitudinally extending opening 28 through which the material drops under the influence of gravity.

Connected to the side wall 21 is the pneumatic con veying or feed tube 19 which, as shown, includes generally an outlet 32 adapted to be connected with the usual suction tube (not shown) of the pneumatic feed system and an air inlet 33 for adjusting the admittance of air. The outlet and air inlet ends 32 and 33 each project beyond the end walls of the housing. The intermediate portion of the tube 19 is cut away and attached along the side wall 21 so that the plane of the inner surface of the latter forms a partial chord. The. cutaway area of the tube is substantially less than the area of the trough-like portion 34 of the tube 19 affixed to like portion 34 of the pneumatic feed tube 19 receives the material through the elongate nadir opening 29 in the side wall 21.-

When the suction tube, not shown, is applied to th outlet end 32 of the pneumatic, feed tube 19, the granular finely divided material feeds through the tube in a swirling corkscrew-like action.' For a more complete de scription of the pneumatic tube and its operation, reference is made to application Serial No. 165,429, filed January 10, l962,now Patent No. 3,153,558 andassignedto the assignee of the present invention.

In a hopper car, the transversely paired and longitudinally aligned hoppers 11 of the car may be in communication with one another above the bottom discharge devices 19, or may be isolated from each other by various wall structures. Such arrangements are well-known and are not illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings. Ifthe hoppers are individually isolated, venting arrangements must be provided for each hopper. Accordingly, a venting arrangement in association with only one hopper is illustrated for purposes of description.

The hopper .in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 3A is. provided near the top thereof with a vertical wall section36 extending between the side wallsv 16a and 16b of the car. The vertical wall section 36 is provided with a vent opening 37 which isin compending portion 56 which is arranged so as to lie inside the side sill 45 of the side 16 onwhich. the conduit is formed. The vertically depending portion 56 projects below the side siil 45 so that itis readily accessible and its terminal end is provided with a removable cap structure 55 which is suitably fastened to the side sill by way of a chain 59 so as to preclude loss of the capwhen the latter is removed.

Referring now to FIG. 7 there is shown still a further modification of a venting arrangement which is similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 with the exception that a side stake 61 of the car is employed to provide 'a conduit means. As shown in FIG. 1 and 4 conventional hopper car. structure includes a plurality munication with a vent tube38 mounted externally of the hopper. The vent tube 38 of FIGS. 1 to 3 is illustrated as extending vertically downward from the top portion of the hopper 11 and at the lowermost end thereof is provided with a transversely extending air inlet portion 39 which extends through a side wall 16 of the car. The end of the transverse portion 39 projects outwardly of the car sideand is provided with a removable cover means 41 which is readily accessible to an operator.

The uppermost end of the tube 38 is in communication i with the vent Opening 37 located at a point just below the top plate structure 42 of the car so as to be positioned above the material stored in the hopper.

If desired, a trough-like baflie member. 43 may be used with the vent tube 38. The bafiie member 43 opens upwardly in close association with the roof 42-and is of cup-like configuration to prevent the accumulation of material in the hopper 11 around the vent opening 37 to permit ready introduction of air into the hopper.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 to 6, there is shown a further modified venting arrangement in which the conduit is formed along one of the side walls 16 of the hopper car. The hopper is provided on the side Wall 16 thereof adjacent the side plate 44 and side sill 45, respectively, with upper and lower openings 46 and 47. Overlying the openings 46 and 47 is a channel member 48 of substantially channel shaped or hat-shaped section. The channel member 48 cooperates with the side wall 16 and is sealingly fixed thereto as by Welding so as to provide a conduit communicating with the upper and lowervent openings46 and 47. Overlying the top and bottom terminal ends of the channel 48 are plate members 49'suitably fixed to the side wall 16 and the respective ends of the channel 48 as by welding. Attached to the inner surface of the side wall 16 and overlying each of the openings 46 and 47 are vent screen assemblies 50 comprising an aperture plate 51 and having secured to one face thereof, as by bolts 52, a vent screen 53 formed of stainless steel or the like. Each of the screen as semblies is fixed to the side walls as by welding.

Fixed at one end to the plate 51 of the lower vent screen assembly 50 is an air inlet elbow 54 of which the other end terminates in a vertically downwardly deof lengthwise spaced side stake members 61 attached at theirupper and lower ends to the side plates and side sills respectively to provide rigidity. These stake members 61 areo'f generally channel shaped or modified hatshaped section and may be similarly shaped to the channel member 48 shown in FIGS; 4-6. To utilize the side stake 61 as a conduit means .the' outer flanges thereof are sealed at their contacting surfaces'with the side plate 44, side sill 45, and side wall '16 by any suitable sealing means, The upper, and lower openings 46 and 47 are located so as to communicate with the conduit provided by the side stake 61. The venting'arrangement is similarly providedwith vent screen assemblies 50 and the lower screen assembly 59 has fixed thereto an air inlet elbow 54from'which there depends a vertical portion '56 projecting below the side sill 45. A removable cover or cap 58 is threadably secured to the free end of the vertically depending portion 56.

With the automatic hopper venting of the types above described, it is unnecessary to remove the hatch covers of the car during material unloading. This operational aspect not only reduces unloading time and costs, but also substantially eliminates the possibility of material contamination during'unloading. Utilization of one of the venting arrangements with the closed pneumatic material conveying systems including the conduit described :above establishes a completely closed material unloading operation, fully protecting the material from contamination orfrom the damaging effects of adverse weather conditionsduring unloading. 1

What is claimed is:

1. A covered hopper car including opposing sides, said sides each comprising a side sill and a vertically spaced side plate, a sidewall fixed between said side sill and side plate, vertical side stakes fixed to and spaced lengthwise of said side wall, and .a hopper formed between said opposing sides; the improvement comprising a channel memberfixed, to the outer face of one of said sidewalls, said channel member being fixed to said one wall so as to form a vertically extending conduit passage, first opening means formed along the upper portion of said one wall for providing communication with said conduit pas sage and the upper portion of said hopper, second opening means formed along the lower portion of said one wall, and air inlet means including an open ended angular elbow conduit fixed to the inner. face of said one wall and in alignment with said second opening, said elbow conduit and said side plate, said side stakes each being of sub-,

stantially channel 'sectionalong the length thereof and having closed end faces at the terminal ends thereof, said side stakes being fixed to said side wall to define'with said side, wall a closed end conduit passage; a hopper formed between said opposing sides, said hopper includ ing a substantially cubic portion defined in part by said opposing side Walls between the upper portion of said car and a discharge portion extending between said side walls along the lower portion of said car, said discharge portion including walls which converge inwardly from said side walls and said side sills, first opening means in the upper portion of one of said side Walls defining said substantially cubic portion of said hopper, said first opening means being aligned with one of said side stakes to provide communication between said hopper and said conduit passage defined by said one side stake, second opening means in said side wall aligned with said conduit passage of said one stake and in proximity to said side sill, an open-end angular elbow conduit fixed to the inner surface of said side wall in alignment with said second opening, said angular elbow conduit including a portion depending downwardly below said side sill for admitting atmosphere into said conduit passage and thereby into said hopper, and detachable cap means for closing off said second opening means at said downwardly depending portion of said elbow.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 15,340 4/22 Slick 105-406 355,587 1/87 Buckley et al. 657,743 9/00 Miller 105247 X 909,565 1/09 Dunn 9818 X 1,308,300 7/19 Sage 105406 1,329,006 1/20 Oehrn 105406 2,108,416 2/38 Smith l05247 2,190,727 2/40 McKenna 214'83.28 2,338,363 1/44 Strobell 93-18 X 2,766,705 10/56 Flowers 105-451 3,092,007 6/63 Boyd 986 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner. LEO QUACKENBUSH, Examiner. 

1. A COVERED HOPPER CAR INCLUDING OPPOSING SIDES, SAID SIDES EACH COMPRISING A SIDE SILL AND A VERTICALLY SPACED SIDE PLATE, A SIDE WALL FIXED BETWEEN SAID SILL AND SIDE PLATE, VERTICAL SIDE STAKES FIXED TO AND SPACED LENGTHWISE OF SAID SIDE WALL, AND A HOPPER FORMED BETWEEN SAID OPPOSING SIDES; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CHANNEL MEMBER FIXED TO THE OUTER FACE OF ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, SAID CHANNEL MEMBER BEING FIXED TO SAID ONE WALL SO AS TO FORM A VERTICALLY EXTENDING CONDUIT PASSAGE, FIRST OPENING MEANS FORMED ALONG THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ONE 